1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to floor tile measuring devices, and particularly to an adjustable floor tile measuring device for measuring and marking tile prior to cutting to insure that the tile is properly cut for installation adjacent to an obstruction.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of ceramic and clay floor tiles is well known. Typically, tiles are bonded to an underlying subfloor using bonding material such as thin set mortar. Tiles are commonly laid in place with a small, uniform gap existing between adjacent tiles, which gaps are filed with grout. The term thin set mortar is used to describe the method of installing tiles with bonding material that is usually 3/32 of an inch to 1/8 of an inch in thickness. In other installations, a mortar bed up to two inches in thickness facilitates accurate slopes or planes in finished tile work on floors and walls. Portland Cement Mortar, comprising a mixture of Portland cement and sand, is suitable bonding material for most surfaces in ordinary types of installations.
Portland Cement is the base for most grout and is modified to provide specific qualities such as whiteness, mildew resistance, uniformity, hardness, flexibility and water retentiveness. Non-cement based grouts such as epoxies, furans and silicone rubber offer properties not possible with cement grouts.
Floor tile is typically rectangular or square, however, other shapes are commonly available. One task that must be routinely executed when laying rectangular floor tile involves cutting tiles which are to be laid about the perimeter of a given space such that the cut tile is suitably sized for installation between the last laid full size tile and a marginal straight edge, such as a wall, bounding the zone in which the tile is laid. To accomplish this, the common practice has been to cut perimeter tiles to fit the remaining space between the last laid tile the wall using a tape measure while accounting for grout joint spacing on each side of the perimeter tile. This method, however, is time consuming and requires precise alignment of the loose tile to permit it to be scribed and cut accurately. If the tile is not properly positioned, aligned, or cut, then the tile will not properly fit the available space. The problem is even more pronounced when the tile setter does not possess the skill of a professional.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,144,697, issued to Zangrando, discloses a tile cutting gauge including a base plate and a slide plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,674, issued to Schell, Jr., discloses an implement for use in laying square tile which comprises a rectangular plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,548,505, issued to DiCandilo, discloses a tile fitting tool having an upturned lip along one edge and a downturned lip along an opposite edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,579, issued to Reid, discloses a floor tile marking gauge comprising an adjustable template and guide frame for marking and cutting tile.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,183,598, 3,718,980, 4,827,625, 4,899,455, 5,361,508, and 5,471,758, each disclose tile setting tools of various sorts.
The background art, however, fails to disclose an adjustable tile measuring device with transparent plates each having a first set of markings for measuring tile for installation next to a wall, and a second set of markings for measuring for notching such that the tile can be installed around door jambs and the like.